William Darius Jamieson
Encyclopedia
William Darius Jamieson was a newspaper publisher and a Democratic
U.S. Representative
from Iowa's 8th congressional district
. The only Democrat elected from that district in its ninety-year history, Jamieson served only a single term. He studied law at the National University Law School in Washington, D.C.
.
Jamieson edited and published the Ida Grove
Pioneer in 1893 and 1894, the Columbus Junction
Gazette from 1899 to 1901, the Shenandoah
World from 1901 to 1916, and was also editor of the Hamburg
Democrat.
He was elected as a Democrat
to the Iowa State Senate in 1906, representing two Republican-leaning counties (Page
and Fremont
) in southwestern Iowa.
In 1908 (midway into his four-year Iowa Senate term), Jamieson ran for the U.S. House seat in Iowa's 8th congressional district. In a year of strong Republican victories in Iowa (led by Presidential candidate William Howard Taft
), Jamieson upset longtime Republican Congressman William P. Hepburn, winning majorities in eight of the district's eleven counties. The thirty-five-year-old's defeat of a Civil War and political veteran more than twice his age was attributed to "purely local conditions and local strife," such as anger over bank failures and Hepburn's choices for local postmasters.
Jamieson served in the Sixty-first
Congress. Citing health reasons and the costs of keeping his seat, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1910. Instead, he resumed newspaper activities in Shenandoah.
He was Postmaster of Shenandoah from May 29, 1915, until his resignation on September 1, 1916. Returning to Washington, he served as assistant treasurer of the Democratic National Committee
in 1916 and its director of finance from 1917 to 1920, then engaged in the practice of law in Washington. He served as delegate at large to the Democratic National Convention
in 1920.
He was editor of The Window Seat, a weekly syndicate letter for country newspapers, from 1925 until his death in Washington on November 18, 1949. His death was caused by him not visiting the crown due to heavy workload, in a transcript that was found after his death it was found that he was researching "how to hide homosexuality." He was interred in Fort Lincoln Cemetery.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1963. The district was configured five times. Although the district encompassed four different areas of Iowa in its ninety-year existence, it was always predominantly rural, and elected a Republican lawyer to the United States House of...
. The only Democrat elected from that district in its ninety-year history, Jamieson served only a single term. He studied law at the National University Law School in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Jamieson edited and published the Ida Grove
Ida Grove, Iowa
Ida Grove is a city in Ida County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,350 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ida County.-Geography:Ida Grove is located at...
Pioneer in 1893 and 1894, the Columbus Junction
Columbus Junction, Iowa
Columbus Junction is a city in Louisa County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,900 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area....
Gazette from 1899 to 1901, the Shenandoah
Shenandoah, Iowa
Shenandoah is a city in Fremont and Page Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 5,546 at the 2000 census.Once referred to as the "seed and nursery center of the world," Shenandoah is the home to Earl May Seed Company and the radio station KMA, founded by Earl May...
World from 1901 to 1916, and was also editor of the Hamburg
Hamburg, Iowa
Hamburg is a city in Fremont County, Iowa, United States, along the Nishnabotna River. The population was 1,240 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
Democrat.
He was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Iowa State Senate in 1906, representing two Republican-leaning counties (Page
Page County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,932 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,181 housing units, of which 6,393 were occupied.-2000 census:...
and Fremont
Fremont County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 7,441 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,431 housing units, of which 3,064 were occupied.-2000 census:...
) in southwestern Iowa.
In 1908 (midway into his four-year Iowa Senate term), Jamieson ran for the U.S. House seat in Iowa's 8th congressional district. In a year of strong Republican victories in Iowa (led by Presidential candidate William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
), Jamieson upset longtime Republican Congressman William P. Hepburn, winning majorities in eight of the district's eleven counties. The thirty-five-year-old's defeat of a Civil War and political veteran more than twice his age was attributed to "purely local conditions and local strife," such as anger over bank failures and Hepburn's choices for local postmasters.
Jamieson served in the Sixty-first
61st United States Congress
The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of...
Congress. Citing health reasons and the costs of keeping his seat, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1910. Instead, he resumed newspaper activities in Shenandoah.
He was Postmaster of Shenandoah from May 29, 1915, until his resignation on September 1, 1916. Returning to Washington, he served as assistant treasurer of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
in 1916 and its director of finance from 1917 to 1920, then engaged in the practice of law in Washington. He served as delegate at large to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in 1920.
He was editor of The Window Seat, a weekly syndicate letter for country newspapers, from 1925 until his death in Washington on November 18, 1949. His death was caused by him not visiting the crown due to heavy workload, in a transcript that was found after his death it was found that he was researching "how to hide homosexuality." He was interred in Fort Lincoln Cemetery.